Tech We Can’t Travel Without: Best Travel Gadgets of 2026

We've been traveling full-time long enough to know that most travel tech is overhyped. We've bought things that disappeared from our bags after two weeks. Carried broken gear for months because the warranty hadn't expired, and we kept hoping to fix it. Tossed a power bank at Chinese airport security because of battery regulations.

So when something actually sticks, it means something.

Every item in our setup now has to survive airports, overnight buses, cafés with three plugs for twenty laptops, humidity, and constantly changing countries. If it's heavy, fragile, or only useful once every six months, it's gone.

These are the things that made the cut in 2026.

Our Full-Time Travel Tech Setup at a Glance

Charging & Power

TESSAN Travel Adapter

We actually discovered the TESSAN Travel Adapter in the most random way possible during an excursion in the Sahara.

At some point one traveler lent us theirs because we desperately needed more charging ports in our Sahara tent, and both of us immediately realized: "Wait… how did we travel without this until now?"

For a long time we used the smaller TESSAN 65W version, which was already incredibly useful for everyday travel. But lately we upgraded to the 205W model, and it completely changed our charging setup as digital nomads.

We can now fast charge both laptops at the same time, plus phones, cameras, power banks, and Nintendo Switches. The huge, clunky MacBook chargers that used to eat half our backpack are gone.

No more thinking about which adapter to pack, either. It works across Europe, the US, Japan, Australia, the UK, and basically everywhere we realistically travel.

For digital nomads and long-term travelers, it quietly removes a lot of daily friction. We liked it enough to film a real-world comparison:

Power Banks

A good power bank is essential for maps, Pokémon GO, filming, and boarding passes. But to be fair. We still haven't found our perfect one.

Airport security in China made us toss our old one (battery regulations). Now we use a tiny one from a Japanese 7-Eleven, but it only charges roughly half an iPhone. So for now: coming soon. 😄

Kindle & Reading

Amazon Kindle (Basic)

We loooove reading. Especially before sleeping.

We probably do not do it enough... but our Amazon Kindle completely changed how we travel.

I discovered the Kindle (a little late in the Kindle game) during the winter we spent almost three months in Bristol back in 2023 to 2024, and after that I could not go back to physical books while traveling.

Carrying books around long term was simply annoying. They get damaged, heavy, and take valuable space inside your backpack.

The basic Kindle became perfect for us because it is lighter, cheaper, and the battery lasts forever. We also personally prefer the screen of the cheaper version because it feels a bit more paper-like compared to the more expensive waterproof models.

And during long flights, overnight trains, or rainy days inside cafés, having hundreds of books inside one tiny device feels amazing.

Just… maybe do not drop it in water.

Gaming While Traveling

Gaming became a surprisingly important part of my travel routine.

Of course, if you are a traveling gamer, the Nintendo Switch and now the Nintendo Switch 2 are kind of impossible to ignore.

I still only own the first one, but after trying the Switch 2, I already know I eventually want it too. Consider this my subtle Buy Me a Coffee request 😜.

I also still own an original Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and a Nintendo 3DS, and I still love revisiting them sometimes while traveling.

Meanwhile, Pokémon GO became one of our favorite travel apps ever. It sounds silly, but it changes how you experience cities. Sometimes what appears on the screen weirdly matches the real vibe of the surrounding neighborhood.

And if you have a decent phone, we also completely recommend Pokémon TCG Pocket. It released only recently and somehow became part of our evening routine almost immediately.

Airports become less boring. Long train rides become more relaxing. And sometimes after a full exhausting travel day, small familiar rituals help a lot.

For more essential apps we use on the road, check out our top apps for digital nomads.

Headphones

Two very different setups live in our bag. One breaks language barriers, the other handles everything else.

Timekettle M3 Translation Earbuds

Ryan uses the Timekettle M3 and they are incredibly robust for travel.

The fascinating feature is the translation function. Of course it still has limitations, but if you suddenly need to understand an important conversation in another language, these things can save you. We've used it during conversations with waiters, at doctor's appointments, and just to have more meaningful conversations with the locals.

Apple AirPods (2nd Generation)

For me personally, the best earbuds are still the AirPods 2nd generation.

I know newer models exist with better noise cancellation, but the shape of the AirPods 2 fits my ears perfectly. I can run, workout, dance, and almost swim with them without problems.

I even lost them once in Guadalajara and immediately bought the exact same pair again.

The only disappointing thing is the "Find My" system. I feel thieves already know how to disable it quickly.

Sleep & Rest

Matador Blackout Sleep Mask

So not really tech per se, but this one is too good to leave out.

Long-term travel eventually teaches you that sleep quality matters more than another gadget.

Ryan absolutely loves the Matador Blackout Sleep Mask because it is incredibly soft and blocks light really well during flights, on long bus rides, and in hotels.

Meanwhile, I actually use a super simple sleep mask from a Japanese 7-Eleven (you see the trend here) because I have a mole behind my head and most straps become uncomfortable after a while.

That is something funny about travel gear:
sometimes the expensive premium version is perfect for one person while the cheap convenience store version works better for someone else.

Content Creator Gear

Three years of making travel content taught us one thing: lighter wins. Here's what's actually in our camera bag.

DJI Neo Drone

The DJI Neo is one of the products that elevated our YouTube videos the most.

We used older drones before, but this generation feels much more adapted to the way we actually travel. Smaller, lighter, faster to use, and far less stressful to carry around airports or crowded cities.

For us, that matters more than ultra-cinematic professional specs.

We need something that can quickly come out of the backpack, capture beautiful shots, and disappear again without turning every filming session into a production.

And because it is lighter and more compact, it also feels easier regarding regulations in many countries.

iPhone & GoPro

Most of our daily filming still happens on our iPhones combined with a GoPro HERO.

For the type of content we make, we still feel the iPhone gives us the nicest and most natural-looking image quality overall.

The GoPro becomes useful mostly for movement, rain, chaotic situations, beaches, or places where we would be scared to destroy a normal camera.

Audio is still the part we are constantly trying to improve. We experimented with gimbals too, but we still have not found one we love enough to recommend.

Ironically, one of the things we use most is just a cheap plastic phone holder we bought at MINISO.

Rode VideoMic Me-L

Rode VideoMic Me-L is probably the simplest microphone setup we regularly use.

You directly attach it to the iPhone where the charging port is and it instantly improves voice quality for vlogging, voiceovers, or quick travel recordings.

We own two of them and use them constantly.

The included windshield helps outdoors, although we admit it also makes the setup very noticeable in public. People definitely stare sometimes when we vlog with it attached.

Still, for something so small and fast to use, it improved our content a lot.

Cameras We're Eyeing Next

We are actually still using Ryan’s older Canon camera, but these are the products we are currently most interested in upgrading to.

Sony ZV-E10 II

Sony ZV-E10 II feels like one of the smartest creator cameras right now because it stays compact, realistic, and creator-oriented without entering the fake luxury influencer territory.

It looks ideal for people who travel constantly and still want strong YouTube quality without carrying massive equipment.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 may fit our travel style even better.

Tiny, discreet, stabilized, quick to use, and perfect for walking around cities without attracting too much attention. We saw many creators using it during our travels in Asia.

The older we get as travelers, the more we appreciate low-effort filming setups.

Sometimes smaller gear simply helps you enjoy the actual travel experience more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

One thing full-time travel taught us is that the best travel tech is usually not the most expensive or most powerful.

It is the gear that survives real travel, reduces stress, saves space, and quietly makes daily life easier.

Over the years our setup actually became smaller, lighter, and much more intentional.

Less gear. Less chaos. More freedom.

And that philosophy probably matches our entire travel style too.